Former Moosehead Pender faces suspension

Former Halifax Mooseheads defenceman Justin Pender is in hot water after attacking a Czech Republic player during a world ball hockey championship semifinal game Saturday in St. John’s, N.L.

In a video that has gone viral, Pender, who was playing for Canada in his hometown, is seen cross-checking Jan Bacovsky after Bacovsky had scored into an empty net to clinch a 5-1 Czech win with 1.3 seconds to play.

Pender then proceeds to throw punches and chase Bacovsky down the floor. Czech goalie Lukas Heczko and two officials try to intervene but Pender continues to pound Bacovsky and lands several punches to the back of Heczko’s head before teammates eventually pull him off.

The St. John’s Telegram reported that Slovakian referee Marek Kralovic suffered a knee injury in the melee and had to be taken off the floor on a stretcher. Keczko appears injured but he and Bacovsky did play in Sunday’s final, which the Czechs lost 2-1 to Slovakia.

Pender was assessed a double match penalty and has been suspended indefinitely by the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation while he awaits a ruling on the length of his suspension.

The 24-year-old Pender — who played four seasons with the Mooseheads from 2005-09 and has spent the past four years in the East Coast Hockey — took to Twitter on Monday offering an apology for his actions.